Flight Design CTLS accident near Elyria, Ohio, July 20, 2012
On July 20, 2012 at about 2:00 am local time, a Flight Design CTLS, registered N21ZA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Elyria, Ohio (Lorain County Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s misjudged landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 20, 2012 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Elyria, Ohio · Lorain County Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Flight Design CTLS
- Registration
- N21ZA · registry record · serial F-10-09-04
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, on the day of the accident, he had accomplished three landings in the accident airplane and that he was pleased with these landings. Forty-five minutes after the last day landing, he took off for a night flight. During the first attempted landing, he misjudged the flare, and the airplane bounced. He subsequently performed a go-around and again misjudged the landing flare. The airplane subsequently bounced hard on the runway, which resulted in a flat nosewheel tire and firewall and right main landing gear damage. Although examination of the right main landing gear leg revealed several manufacturing defects that have since been addressed by the landing gear leg manufacturer, the accident was likely caused by the pilot's misjudged landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and the subsequent right main landing gear damage.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Organizational issues › Development › Manufacture/production › Equipment manufacture › Manufacturer
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 119 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 59 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Zone Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: LPR Elyria OH
- Destination: LPR Elyria OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 5,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 070° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from LPR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N21ZA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.